Jasper County cuts deputy administrator position

The Jasper County Council voted 4-1 Monday to eliminate the deputy administrator position, saving the county about $100,000.

George Hood had been hired in December 2011 as the county’s deputy administrator. Hood previously served on County Council for eight years and was chairman at one point.

Hood said he doesn’t agree with council’s decision on Monday night to eliminate his position.

Council member Theo Drayton voted against eliminating the position.

Drayton said eliminating the position was personal.

“The deputy county administrator’s position was developed to give Andy (Fulghum, county administrator) a chance to talk to people, to do his job. Andy’s job is not a job where he can handle the employees and go out and look for businesses, talking to people to bring them into the county,” Drayton said. “He needs help. That’s why Dr. Hood was selected for that position.”

Chairman Henry Etheridge disagreed.

“Everybody got a chance to voice their opinions,” Etheridge said. “They voiced their opinions, some of them in favor, some of them not in favor. We keep hearing that this is a ‘personal vendetta’, but that’s not it at all. The year that this position was put in place, we had a 23 percent tax increase across the county.”

“We have looked at that position, we have evaluated that position,” Etheridge continued. “And we feel like we can do without that position, especially since we were sent an economic development person when we joined the Southern Carolina Economic Alliance.”

Etheridge said the upcoming retreat Monday and Tuesday at Blue Heron Nature Center will include a review of all county salaries, and that adjustments will be made as needed.